How to restore and revamp wicker furniture

You can easily revamp or restore wicker furniture in a couple of hours and we show you how.

 

 

 

 

 

This wicker set in our garden had been kept outside for a few years. It was falling apart and the small table was so brittle that it crumbled to the touch. The chair was in slighter better condition and, although still sturdy, needed some careful fixing. The plan was to use it as sunroom or garden decoration (somewhere for the cat to snooze), rather than a full weight-bearing role, so the wicker didn't need to be 100% restored.

 

 

 

HERE'S HOW:

 

 

 

 

1. Use a 2mm bit to drill holes and insert stainless steel wire to secure any legs that are out of place or to re-attach loose sections. It also helps to apply some No More Nails exterior adhesive to the joins, as well as to any old nail joins.

 

 

2. If any cane spiraling has snapped off during handling, glue it back into position and hold it in place with masking tape until the glue is dry.

 

 

3. If you find the wicker missing in some spots, or unravelled in others, brush over it with diluted exterior glue to soften the wicker and let some pieces be retrained and others to fill gaps. Hold these pieces in places with masking tape until dry.

 

 

 

 

4. In our chair, the thick cane chair braces had come away from the rusty nails and had broken at the nail entry point. If that's the case with your chair, hold the braces in position with brass framing nails (which are slim, strong and not prone to rust), and use a dab of  No More Nails exterior adhesive for extra support.

 

 

 

 

5. If the cane binding the joins together has unraveled in a few spots or broken in some places, apply exterior glue, with masking tape to hold in position until dry.

 

 

6. After all the glue is dry, prepare for painting by brushing over the wicker with a banister brush to remove dust, old bits of paint and flaking varnish. Some parts of the cane legs may need sanding with fine-grit sandpaper.

 

 

 

 

7. The set was painted with Rust-Oleum 2X Painters Touch spray paint in a Berry Pink. Paint two light coats as the paint will help to stabilize and strengthen the wicker.

 

 

 

Rust-Oleum 2X Painters Touch spray paint is perfect for wicker - indoor or outdoor, and comes in a wide selection of colours.

 

 

You can buy Rust-Oleum products at your local Builders Warehouse. Choose from a wide selection of colours to decorate all types of garden furniture.